Editorial: Volunteer to help Neosho boards

Thursday

The great Irish statesman Edmund Burke once said, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”

We agree.

This rings particularly true in our very own Neosho. There are no less than 16 official city committees in this town alone. All are staffed by citizen volunteers.

Getting people to step up, however, is sometimes difficult. Two committees — the building code board of appeals and the Senior Center tax advisory board — have operated underrepresented by one member since Nov. 1. A three-year term beginning on that date never got filled in either group.

Since at least October, the vacancies have been announced via both print and radio media outlets and at city council meetings.

No one has stepped up.

Granted, there are requirements. The slot on the building code appeals committee must be filled by someone with an engineering, architecture, construction or electrical and/or mechanical contracting background. The particular open seat on the senior center board must be taken by someone with a business or accounting history.

But in a city of more than 10,500 people, is there no one that qualifies? Or, rather, is it we don’t believe we can really make a difference as individuals?

Those aforementioned 16 committees do the legwork when it comes to issues affecting our city. The voter-elected city council makes the ultimate decisions, but oftentimes those decisions are based on recommendations from the city committees. And who makes up those committees?

Individuals.

Sure, serving on a city board involves a certain sacrifice of time. But is an hour or less once a month really all that much?

Enough grumbling about how the citizen's voice isn’t being heard. Do something about it. Committees are where it happens. Consider serving on one. Write a short letter to the city council (c/o City Clerk, 203 E. Main) and let them know you will volunteer for the appeals board or senior citizens tax committee.

If not one of those, other committee seats will probably soon be available. Let us be available, too.

Neosho Daily News

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